# 90 days in 180: how the count works

> A short stay in Italy cannot pass 90 days in any 180. Schengen has had 29 members since January 1, 2025, and the Italian visa portal still lists 26.

URL: https://myitalia.it/plan/entry-rules
Last updated: 2026-09-02

A short stay in Italy, and anywhere in the Schengen area, cannot exceed 90 days within any period of 180 days; past that you need a national long stay visa, type D, issued by a single state.

## The 180 days move with you

The window of 180 days is a rolling one: on any given day, look back 180 days and add up the days you spent inside the area. There is no reset on January 1 and no reset at the border.

Days count wherever you spent them in the area, so a week in Paris and a month in Italy go into the same 90. Leaving for the United Kingdom or Croatia pauses the count; it does not clear it.

## 29 countries since January 1, 2025

The Schengen area now has 29 members: 25 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania were abolished on January 1, 2025. Cyprus takes part in Schengen cooperation, but its internal border controls have not been lifted.

The area handles 3.5 million internal border crossings a day, which is why nobody stamps you when you take a train from Milan to Zurich, and why the days still count.

## The Italian visa portal still says 26

Italy's own consular portal, vistoperitalia.esteri.it, still lists 26 states as fully applying the Schengen acquis, leaving out Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia. That list is out of date against the January 1, 2025 change.

We are flagging it because it is an official source that will contradict this page. When two official pages disagree, use the more recent event and check with the consulate that handles your country.

## The visa types, in plain terms

4 labels cover almost everything. Type C uniform Schengen visa (VSU), valid for all states that fully apply the acquis. Type C with limited territorial validity (VTL), valid only for the states written on it. Type A airport transit visa (VTA). And the national type D visa, from 91 to 365 days, issued by one state.

A type D holder is not confined to the issuing country: the visa still allows movement in other member states for 90 days in any 180.

## A visa is permission to ask, not a right to enter

The 90/180 rule is checked at the border, and holding a visa does not oblige anyone to let you in: the border police can refuse a traveler who does not meet the conditions of the Schengen Borders Code.

How much money you may be asked to show is not a figure verified from a primary source in our fact set, so this page prints none. Ask the Italian consulate that covers your country, and note the date of the answer they give you.

## FAQ

### How long can I stay in Italy without a visa?

Up to 90 days in any period of 180 days, counting all your time in the Schengen area and not only in Italy. Beyond that you need a national long stay visa, type D, issued by one member state rather than by Schengen as a whole.

### Does the 90-day clock reset when I leave and come back?

No. The rule counts 90 days inside a rolling window of 180, so a trip to London or Zagreb pauses the count without erasing it. Days spent in any of the 29 Schengen countries go into the same total.

### How many countries are in the Schengen area?

29 since January 1, 2025: 25 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania were abolished on that date. Cyprus takes part in Schengen cooperation without having dropped its internal controls.

### What is the difference between a type C and a type D visa?

Type C is a short stay visa for up to 90 days in 180; type D is a national long stay visa, from 91 to 365 days, issued by one country. A type D holder can still move around other member states for 90 days in any 180.

### Does a valid visa guarantee entry to Italy?

No. Border police can refuse a traveler who does not meet the Schengen Borders Code conditions, even with a valid visa in the passport. The 90/180 count is one of those conditions, and it is checked at the border.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il soggiorno di breve durata nello spazio Schengen, e quindi in Italia, non puo' superare 90 giorni su un periodo di 180 giorni; oltre i 90 giorni serve un visto nazionale di lunga durata (tipo D) rilasciato dal singolo Stato. | [Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale - portale 'Il visto per l'Italia'](https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/); [Commissione europea - DG HOME](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en) | high | 2028-12-31 |
| L'Italia fa parte dello spazio Schengen, che dal 1 gennaio 2025 comprende 29 Paesi (25 Stati membri UE piu' Islanda, Norvegia, Svizzera e Liechtenstein) dopo l'abolizione dei controlli alle frontiere interne con Bulgaria e Romania. | [Commissione europea - DG HOME](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/schengen-area_en) | medium | 2027-12-31 |

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/organizza/entry-rules.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/planifica/entry-rules.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/preparer/entry-rules.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/planen/entry-rules.md